But after verification, 92 lakh names vanished. Nearly 62 lakh failed eKYC. Others? Too rich, too old, or… male. Yes, 29,000 men got paid by mistake. Over ₹14,000 crore was already handed out before checks kicked in. The CAG flagged messy finances, and now the budget’s been slashed by ₹9,500 crore. No hike to ₹2,100 as promised. Why? A mix of rushed rollout, election delays, and weak controls. The lesson? When welfare scales fast without checks, money leaks; and trust erodes. Still, 1.5 crore women remain enrolled, and the government says recovery will target only government employees and male beneficiaries. Big promise. Bigger cleanup.